While at the Gnomedex 10 event over the weekend, I was able to take a moment to get my grubby little mitts on what I assume is a developer’s release of Windows Phone 7. Being a full time Linux enthusiast, one might think I would have hated it. Oddly though, quite the opposite is true. I was astounded at how fluid this mobile OS was, even compared to iOS and Android.

It was difficult to put my finger on any one thing that wowed me, but rather it was a collection of actions with the phone that I found impressive. The demo apps were cool, and the font was refreshingly large and clear for adult eyes.

The flow from screen to screen was also surprisingly smooth and just felt natural. What surprised me most was the fact that I felt the phone was intuitive without the need for lots of instructions. Everything said and done, Microsoft did a nice job.

Now for the big question: can Microsoft get enough developers creating apps for the Microsoft application store? It’s certainly possible that it can make a strong case for devs to consider its platform, but it may not happen overnight.

[awsbullet:windows phone 7 Paul Thurrott]